For schools, said Mark Holtzman, superintendent of the Hempfield Area School District, it’s here, and it’s now.
“Artificial intelligence is something that is actively reshaping how we consume, create and evaluate things across every sector,” he said. “It is influencing workforce expectations, post-secondary readiness and even civic engagement. As educators, we’re ensuring students are not only using these tools, but we’re also critical thinkers who also understand the capabilities, limitations and ethical implications.”
Mr. Holtzman was one of several educators and researchers who testified Tuesday at a hearing on AI in K-12 education in Pittsburgh before the state House Education Committee. The session — hosted by the Pittsburgh Public Schools at the district’s headquarters in Oakland — was meant to help legislators determine what guidance the state should offer schools on AI usage.
Legislators said at the hearing that they were concerned about Pennsylvania “falling behind” on AI education policy as it has yet to address the technology in schools in any significant way.
At least 33 states as well as Washington, D.C., have created task forces or commissions related to AI in education, and at least 35 states have published guidance, according to Katja Krieger, a policy analyst with Education Commission for the States, a Denver nonprofit focused on education policy. Meanwhile, 26 of the task forces or commissions have published reports on topics such as guidelines and recommendations on AI literacy, educator training and ethical uses of AI.
In Georgia, for example, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission released guidance for educators on ethical considerations in using AI, including a set of ethical principles, standards and questions on how to use AI in the classroom. A Nevada bill enacted in 2025 prohibits schools from using AI to perform the function and duties of a school counselor, psychologist or social worker. A 2026 bill in Idaho requires the department of education in the Gem State to develop a statewide framework for generative AI education and requires each school district to adopt a policy governing its use.
“While each state is addressing AI at their own pace and in their own way, we’re starting to see some common themes,” Ms. Krieger said. “We’re seeing states focus policies on state and local AI model policy adoption, allowable and prohibited use of AI in education, data privacy protections, and AI literacy instruction.”
Committee members asked some of the educators at the hearing what they wanted from the state legislature.
Mr. Holtzman said that he would like the state to provide guidelines that give latitude to individual school districts.
Mark Stuckey, the chief technology officer for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, said legislators should work with school districts to build an equitable statewide policy framework.
That framework, he said, should include ensuring transparency from AI vendors about the student data they collect, mandating equity impact standards and bias audits, investing in educator preparation with targeted support for all school districts, and ensuring that state funding for AI in education is distributed equitably.
“Pittsburgh Public Schools should not have to figure this out alone, and neither should other districts,” Mr. Stuckey said.
The educators agreed that schools needed to address AI before it becomes too advanced.
Melissa Costantino-Poruben, a sixth-grade math teacher at Avonworth Middle School, said schools need to be a leader in responsible AI usage and asked for the state to be a partner in that effort.
“We’ve seen what happens when technology outpaces guidance as it did with social media,” Ms. Costantino-Poruben said. “This time, we must be proactive.”
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